


Rose

by fuelfox



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Both reader and Gally are so stubborn, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Glader Slang, Med Jack reader, Only girl in the Glade, POV Second Person, Slice of Life, Swearing, based on the books and the movie, best friend Newt, i wrote this seven years ago and I don’t feel like changing it to third person, so much swearing, sorry mom, this takes place before Thomas shows up, you know I love a good ole fashion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:13:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29786970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuelfox/pseuds/fuelfox
Summary: Being the only girl in the Glade Can be rough sometimes. You’ve worked hard to earn your place, but still you fear making one wrong move will reverse all the respect the boys have for you. Typically you can handle yourself, but a prank gone wrong has landed you a challenge in the Ring against the strongest Glader, Gally. He isn’t going to go easy on you just because you’re a girl. This feud between the two of you seems to run deeper than just pranks for Gally. Why did he hate you so much?
Relationships: Gally (Maze Runner)/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	1. A Fight in the Ring

**Author's Note:**

> I, like many of you, walked into that theater in 2014 just for Dylan O’Brien, but, call me crazy cuz. . I came out of that theater having eyes for only Will Poulter. Recently I found this old fic I wrote and thought I would edit and post. I am too lazy to change it to third person POV.
> 
> You can use the [Interactive Fics](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/interactivefics/pcpjpdomcbnlkbghmchnjgeejpdlonli?hl=en) web extension to change Y/N to your name!

Even before you remembered your name, during those terrifying first few days in the Glade, you could tell that a particular builder had some sort of feeling toward you, and that feeling was pure hatred. During your first month, Gally did his best to avoid being within fifty feet of you, and if he happened to be it was only to make commentary on how horrible of a job you were doing or how annoying you were. In the few months since then, things had become rather routine with the other boys. They had all accepted the fact that you were a girl, and the Greenies that had come up since were quick to get used to the idea as well. It was only Gally who continued to scoff and roll his eyes if you even just innocently walked by.

At first, you felt crazy since no one else seemed to bat an eyelash at how Gally treated you. He was known for being ill-tempered, and even more so after he had been stung. There was just something different about the way he avoided you. Being treated differently among this group of boys always made you feel uneasy. Mostly everyone had gotten used to treating you as one of the guys, so why couldn’t he?

A few months into your arrival at the Glade, Newt finally noticed the builder's distaste for you. At the time, you had been helping him practice with his crutches around the Glade. Before the incident, you and Newt had been friends, but now you spent more of your days trying to help him heal. You started to pick up on each other’s quirks and often had conversations just through sharing odd looks which was a great new ability since Newt wasn’t up for talking much.

"Great to see you back on your feet!" Gally patted Newt's shoulder as you walked by the new watchtower the builders were making around one of the tallest trees. "Gonna make those klunk hands useful and join my crew once you're healed?"

"Newt's gonna take it easy and be a track-hoe for a while, isn't that right, Newt?" You looked to the blonde for his agreement. He stayed quiet like he had been since he'd woken up a week ago.

"Whatever. We'll talk later when the little helper nurse isn't here to answer all your questions before you can think for yourself." Gally waved us off and turned back to the ladder he was nailing together for the watchtower, his arm muscles flexing as the hammer hits against the wood.

Newt watched you with a quirked eyebrow as you glared into the builder's sweaty back with enough anger to power a city. He smirked and hit you with his crutch to get you out of your daze. "Let's keep going, Nurse Y/N."

You rolled your eyes at the new nickname. Hopefully, that one wouldn’t catch on like the last. When you came up in the box, all you had with you were the clothes on your back and a flower that had been whittled out of a bar of soap. Before you could remember your name, the boys had been calling you Greenie until Newt started calling you Rose. At first, they used the nickname as a joke to taunt you, but about a week after coming up, you remembered your real name.

Now you only let a handful of the boys call you Rose, and depending on the tone they used, you usually handed them their asses afterward. The nickname made you feel girly, and honestly, you liked that feeling. It was nice to be compared to something so pretty. But, you worked so hard to be treated like everyone else, so you didn’t like being teased for being feminine. Sometimes the nickname felt derogatory.

_“You sure you can carry that, Rosie?”_

_“She doesn’t want to get her hands dirty, isn’t that right, Rose?”_

It would probably be smart just to ask everyone to stop using the name all together, but oddly, Rose felt just as familiar to you as your real name did. Usually, it was just Newt who got to use the nickname and occasionally Minho when he was in one of his very rare serious moods. Everyone else was to call you by your remembered name

You followed the hobbling boy around the Glade for another half hour until the box blared, signaling it was about to come up with this month's Greenie. Newt went back into hiding to avoid the, "What happened to him?" question that he wasn't quite yet ready to answer.

That night at dinner you sat across from Minho to give him the scoop on Newt's fast recovery. He seemed to be paying attention until his eyes caught something more interesting behind you. You paused your story about how good Newt had been walking to turn and look at what Minho had been so intrigued by at the table behind you.

A spoonful of mashed potatoes splattered on your face and slid down onto your shoulder.

The table behind you burst into laughter. Gally proudly held up his spoon while one of his crew members patted him on the back. You wiped the mashed potatoes off your shoulder and faced forward, your lips pressed in a tight line to prevent you from yelling. Minho covered his mouth to stifle a giggle. This earned him a swift kick in the shin under the wooden table between you.

On your own plate, your untouched mashed potatoes seemed to shine at you as you came up with an idea. You slyly grabbed a handful, hoping no one would notice except Minho whose face turned serious at your odd action.

He leaned forward across the table slightly to whisper at you. "Don't start a food fight, slinthead."

"I'm not going to throw it." You winked at him then stood up and tapped Gally on the shoulder.

He looked you up and down with a smirk. "Got something on your shoulder there, Nurse Y/N."

You tried to keep a calm demeanor. "Can I speak with you a moment, Captain Gally?"

You nodded your head toward the less crowded section of the dining area. His crew hollered at him like he was about to get him trouble. Gally stood up from the table and left his friends with a cheeky smile to follow you. Once far enough away, you stopped and stood right in front of him, the mashed potatoes feeling even slimmer in your hand because of the nervous sweat. The whole dining area seemed to go quiet in an attempt to hear your conversation.

"What's this about? Can’t take a joke?" Gally taunted you and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Can you?" As quick as you could, you pulled on the front of his pants with your free hand and dropped the mashed potatoes into them with your other. The gladers went wild, yelling and banging on the tables.

Gally seemed frozen in time until his face contorted to an angry glare that was so intense you feared it would tear through you. His voice was eerily calm. "I'm going to kill you."

You yelped and started running as fast as you could, out of the well-lit dining area, across the field, past the box. Soon the only light you had to see where you were going was coming from the moon, but you had to keep running. Gally was dangerously close and still yelling profanities like, "You shank!" and "You're gonna wish you were fucking dead ya slinthead!"

The whole Glade had stopped eating to watch the chase and cheer on either side. You soon came up along the wall and ran out of space to run. You turned around and dodged Gally to start running back toward the glow of the camp. It was easy to get around him when he was in a state like this. Sure, the rage made him scarier once caught, but it also blinded him in his actions. He didn't know when to strike and catch you, resembling a drunk bear.

As you approached the north side of the Glade, you could see Newt standing at his window in the Homestead to find out what the commotion was about. . . The Homestead. Perfect! You could run up the stairs and lock your door. The entire building shook as you barreled into it at full speed, leaving the door swinging open with so much force that it hit the wall and began to close itself. You made it halfway up the rickety staircase before Gally barged through the front door behind you.

"Don't think you can just hide from me, ya shank!"

You playfully screamed and sprinted up the stairs, your thighs burning. Gally harshly ran up them, making the picture frames shake on the walls. You reached for your doorknob, but it wouldn't budge or twist like someone on the other side had been holding it shut.

"Newt!" Your shoulder desperately rammed into the door with no luck. "You fucker! Let me in!"

His only reply was a hearty laugher from the other side of the locked door. Now was not the time to be pranking you like this!

Gally stopped as he reached the other end of the hall, panting and glaring at you like a lion trapping its prey. You let go of the door and started to back down the hall, even though it was a dead end. Your fate was inevitable.

"Gally." You attempted to barter with him and raise your hands in surrender. "It was just a joke."

Your pleading voice and batting eyelashes were not enough to convince him you were innocent. He stalked toward you with his finger wagging in your face as soon as he got close enough. Your back pressed firmly against the wall, hoping you would melt into it and disappear forever. His voice was low and threatening.

"Tomorrow night at the bonfire. You, me, the Ring."

Gally stormed off, probably to shower off tonight's dinner. You slid down the wall and hugged your knees, knowing you'd just earned yourself the most humiliating punishment: a swift kick in the ass in front of all the gladers. Running around the Glade with Gally hot on your tail was exhilarating, but you almost wish you had just tripped and let him tackle you out in the grass as his payback. The Ring? That was Gally’s pride and joy beside his moonshine and building. You weren’t gonna last a full minute.

The next night, you had planned to stay in the Homestead and keep Newt company during the bonfire. Newt, however, had heard the match Gally set up the night prior and insisted the both of you go to the Greenie celebration.

"Don't really care if the Newbie asks about my leg. It'd be bloody worth it to see the klunk beaten outta you. Who knows? Maybe you'll get a few good shots in as well." Newt carried on as he hobbled down the staircase. "And you know you want to get your hands on 'im anyway."

You swatted at his stomach, not being able to reach his head or even his shoulder from where you guided him two stairs below him. "Do not!"

"Honestly, woman! Even before I had all this time off I was still able to notice something was up with you and that shank. Now that I have to see your shuck face everyday, it's bloody obvious you fancy him."

"In his dreams."

"Yeah and in the dreams of every other shank in this hellhole." This earned him another swat.

"Not everyone is a perv like you."

"Yes, yes they are. Sorry, love, but I don't think there's a bloke here whose dreams you haven't invaded." You faked a gag, and Newt added, "Yeah it goes something like that."

You gave him a third swat to the back of the head this time now that you were both off the stairs and could reach him. "You're a pig."

The two of you slowly make your way across the dark field to the giant fire. Some of the boys were beating a rhythm on the dead logs while others were hollering, dancing around, and holding up their glasses of Gally's recipe. The number of the gladers had been constant for a while because of some deaths three months back. Thankfully, the group was able to save Newt, which meant that the set of twins sent up this month had, for the first time in a while, actually made the number of the gladers grow. Eighteen of you now sat around the fire, and you weren't planning on losing any others.

"We were starting to think you weren't gonna show up!" Captain Gally's voice boomed from the other side of the fire. "Ready for our match, girlie?"

Except maybe now they'd lose you after Gally beats the klunk out of you in the Ring. You could already see it being etched into your gravestone, _Killed due to a grudge about mashed potatoes._

Newt shouted back cheerily, catching the attention of all the gladers, "She's told me she's gonna kick your slimy ass!"

You took a mental note to get back at Newt for lying and throwing you under the bus.

The gladers howled at the banter. A few smacked you encouragingly on the shoulders and led you to the rope in the sand that formed the fighting rink. Gally stood on the other side with a very amused expression. He handed his glass of liquor to another glader then took a fighting stance.

"Really, girlie? You called my ass slimy?"

The corners of your mouth twitch as you think of a snarky reply. "Yeah, I'm assuming it is unless you managed to get all the mash out."

The small crowd of boys forming around the Ring cheered, encouraging you and easing your nerves a bit. This is a game Gally played at every bonfire, and plenty have lost to him before without it being a big deal. You knew for you it wouldn't be any different. If anything, he could have even gained some respect for you after.

So you throw your fists up and took a fighting stance. "Come at me, Captain."

Gally sped toward you like an angry bull, and like during the chase before, you easily dodged his every move. He started to catch on, though, and was able to land a punch to your side. You were winded for a moment, but the adrenaline running through your system made you automatically swing back as hard as you could. Your knuckles connected with his mouth, making his head turn from impact. The crowd around you cheered and drank. Punches to the face were generally avoided, but you had just done it on instinct.

He was fuming now. Anger was pulsing through him and feeding every muscle in his body. You swore one of his biceps flexed to the size of your head. Gally charged at you, wrapping his arms around your middle to tackle you to the ground. An idea popped into your head as it hit the sand near the edge of the rope. The crowd got even louder because they assumed he was about to win, but you weren't going to let that happen.

You were going to play dirty.

Gally held you down with his weight after the crash. His face was centimeters from yours, covered with pure determination, blood from the split lip you had given him, and a bit of sand. Newt was going to be proud of you for what you were about to do. The hard part was keeping in your laughter and staying serious so that you didn’t give your plan away.

You smirked and whispered, "Have you ever had a dream about us like this?"

The boy turned bright red, and his determination melted away to shock. His mistake was releasing his grip slightly, letting you get lose and stand above him. When he tried to gain composure and scramble up after you, you pushed him backwards, back on his ass and slightly outside of the rope.

The gladers went wild, yelling louder than ever before. You offered a hand to Gally, but it didn’t take much effort to help him up. His legs were strong enough to shoot up on their own, but he still held your grip as a truce. The two of you shook hands, then you were practically dog piled by the other gladers. They were mostly congratulating you and retelling all that just occurred, but only one thing mattered.

Newt was right.

And you decided this was something you wanted to test further.

After many thank you's to all those congratulating you, you made it through the crowd to where Gally was sitting on a dead log. He was gingerly touching his lip when you approached. Unsurprisingly, he rolled his eyes at the sight of you.

"You cheated."

You chewed on the inside of your cheek, debating your next move. Eventually, you decide to go for it. "Let's go get that cut checked out in the Homestead."

Gally seemed reluctant, but he agreed to the medical help. The two of you slipped away from the bonfire unnoticed because the attention had already moved from the fight to something funny the Greenie said. The privacy of the Homestead didn't make you any less tense than you were before the fight. If anything, the silence between the two of you was making you sick to your stomach.

Gally followed you up the stairs without question, but you felt the need to explain anyway. "I have a med bag in my room." You glanced back at him to see he was staring at his feet as they took each step. He didn't offer much of a reply other than an angry huff.

Once in your room, you started digging through the med bag you promised for disinfectant and a small bandage. Gally stood in the doorway. His giant silhouette almost scared you when you turned back around with the supplies.

"Right well, you can take a seat on the bed." You nodded toward it, putting the disinfectant wipe and bandaid in your back pocket.

He did as told with a tense, debating look on his face. When you kneeled in front of him, he fidgeted around and leaned back away from you.

"Have a dream like this too?" You teased.

Even in the dim moonlight seeping through your small window, you could see a blush form on Gally's face. "N-no! I never said I had one at all!"

You hummed and reached over to light a match for the lamp on your nightstand. The yellow lighting was weak, but you were now better able to see the small cut on Gally's lip. The injury was so small, it probably didn't even need attending to, but you weren't going to admit that to him. "Oh it looks pretty bad. 'M sorry, Captain." He fidgeted again as you brushed some of the sand off his cheek.

“The hell are you doing?”

“Do you want sand in it? Stay still. This might sting, but you're really strong, so you might not even feel it,” you said sarcastically, earning a huff of annoyance from him.

After taking out the disinfectant wipe, you softly dabbed it on the cut. His face turned very serious in an attempt to not show how much the alcohol stung. You wiped some of the dried blood on his chin then grazed your thumb across the better half of his bottom lip.

"You're the worst," Gally grumbled. "Just give me the shuck bandaid."

Oh, but he was so wrong. Gally was the one who was actually the worst, not you. He always sucked the fun out of everything with his judgmental glares and impatience. If he didn’t want to be treated with kindness, then you weren’t going to waste your time.

You shoved the bandaid at his chest and opened the door wide enough for him to leave. "Well as long as you got what you came here for, get out you shank."

Gally crumpled the bandaid in his fist and stormed out. The slamming of your door echoed throughout the entire Homestead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there will be eight parts to this! The first six are done. There is a plot point in part seven that I just find ridiculous, so I want to rewrite it a bit. Part eight is halfway done, but it’s subject to change since I am changing part seven.  
> When my other series gets to be too much for me, I’ll be editing this one for an emotional break! This will not affect how often I update my other series at all since it’s mostly written and the other series is my passion project. Just thought this would be fun to share! I read it from time to time whenever I forget what happens lol.  
> This is not at all my writing style and I am not comfortable using second person. You can probably tell, and for that, I am so sorry. I’ve been telling myself it’s good practice though.


	2. First Gathering

A few days passed by and you had managed to avoid Gally at all costs. It's not like that was hard to do since he seemed to be avoiding you as well. You needed the space to deal with the cringe and regret that came after Gally had stormed out that night. Maybe you had come on too strong, or maybe Gally didn't like you like Newt had insisted he did after all. Either way, you made a fool of yourself in front of one of the Keepers of the Glade. It wasn't wise to get on one of their bad sides since they were all highly respected. He had already hated you enough to begin with.

You were in the med tent wondering what you could possibly do to get yourself out of this awkward situation when Nick burst into the room with worried eyes and holding up the Greenie who was limping beside him. You rush over to the bed to help the kid lay down while Nick started explaining everything. The Greenie was living up to the nickname and looked like he was going to be sick once he caught sight of his foot. With all the blood and the whimpering, you didn’t really need Nick’s explanation to know what happened.

"Stepped on a shuck nail while trainin' to be a builder."

The Greenie scrunched his face and hissed. "It hurts."

"Hold him down,” you told Nick as you bent down to examine the nail coming out of his sneaker. Nick stood over the young boy and got a firm grip on his left leg. With pilers, you were able to pull out the nail. The boy screamed and kicked you in the face with his other foot. You groaned but carried on with helping him by taking off his sneaker and blood-stained sock to assess the damage. The Greenie yelped like you were torturing him when you poured peroxide over the wound.

After a couple of stitches and a lot more crying from the boy, he was all wrapped up and going to be just fine. You and Nick helped the boy to his hammock to lay down for the rest of the day. When you turned to leave the kid, you caught a glimpse of Gally across the Glade. His back was to you, and he was hammering a ladder that would lead to the second layer of the watchtower. A wave of anger passed through you as you thought about how Gally was just going on with his day, not even minding that the newbie had gotten hurt under his watch. What a selfish asshole!

With your fists clenching and jaw tight, you stormed across the Glade and began to ascend to the first layer of the watchtower. Gally didn't even acknowledge your arrival, and he hammered on. You tapped him on the shoulder and crossed your arms to make yourself look tougher. Usually, the look in your face when you were angry was enough for any glader to realize their wrongdoings, but Gally was different. He had never been afraid of you before, and crossing your arms wasn’t going to have him put his tail between his legs and run off defeated.

Gally stopped working to turn to you. He used the collar of his shirt to wipe his face, revealing his abs that were glistening in the sun from sweat. His face dropped to a look that you would have guessed was concern if you didn't already know how uncaring Gally was.

"What happened to your face?" He reached out for a brief second to touch your cheek, but quickly retreated, knowing better.

There must have been a bruise forming from when the Greenie kicked you earlier. You decided to ignore the comment and get straight to what you came up to tell him. "The hell, Gally? You couldn't even look after the Greenie for the one day you had him?" You held up a single finger, getting closer to his face for emphasis.

"Actually, while my crew was teaching him how to nail boards together for this next layer down there in the shade, I've been working my ass off up here in the sun all day. We can't all sit around in the med tent and be useless."

You scoffed and grabbed his hammer. "It doesn't take much brains to wave this around all day. I know I can manage it easy if you can."

He threw up his hands. "Let's see it then. Finish the last three nails for me."

They were already sticking out from the places they needed to be, so you figured the task would be easy. You starting beating down on the first nail, using all the anger you were feeling toward Gally. That energy quickly drained, and you were out of breath before even hitting one nail all the way in. Your brow creased as you glared at the nail that was so close to being in. It taunted you.

"Thought you said it was easy?"

"Slim it!"

One of the builders whistled up to grab Gally's attention. "We've got enough boards to make the next layer, Captain!"

"Start cuttin' wood for the railing!" Gally then took the hammer back from you. "And you get the hell out of here. Go find someone else to bother." He turned away from you to continue hammering the ladder to the tree trunk.

That night you didn't go to dinner. Instead, you stayed late in the med tent to clean up before moving to the Homestead to do the same. By the time boys were returning, you had cleaned the main rooms and accumulated a load of laundry to do in the morning. When the boys started getting loud, you slid off to your room so that you could read up on the worn medical textbook a bit. You got comfy in your bed, turned on your lantern, and began to read.

A brief knock on your door had you calling out, "It's open!" thinking it was Newt or Minho coming to annoy you about how missing dinner isn't good for your health. They were good friends like that, always pulling you back to the group when you would push yourself away. Someone stepped into your room and cleared his throat, making you look up from your book. Your stomach flipped and you sat up quickly as if him seeing you lounging around in bed was too intimate.

"Newt sent me up with your dinner. He said he couldn't carry it from the kitchen since he's on his crutches, and Minho's in the map room." Gally walked across the room then seemed like he didn’t know what to do next.

"Thank you. Thanks. Yeah. You didn't have to do that." Either the food smelled better than usual, or you were just starving from trying to skip a meal. You stood up to take the plate of food from him and put it on your nightstand.

"I-uh- I needed to tell you something anyway." He scratched the back of his neck and avoided looking at you.

Your heart and stomach were currently wrestling in your throat. "Really?"

"Just that, Nick said that you handled the whole nail situation really well. . . and Newt's leg too. He said you do a lot around here that I don't know about and that I should stop bein' a slinthead to you about your work and all. . ."

You looked down at your own feet that were scuffing against the ground nervously. It was really nice to hear Nick thought of you like that. Often times you were worried you weren’t doing enough. Gally’s comment earlier about you sitting around in the med tent all day hit a little too close to home. The last thing you wanted was for the boys to start thinking you were lazy. Anything that set you apart from the group and reminded them that you were different felt like the end of the world.

"I was wrong about what I said too, about not needing brains to build? I know I couldn't put together a whole building that stays standing after all the shanks 'round here stomped through it day in and day out. It takes a lot of skill to be a builder." You briefly glanced up to see a small grin flash across Gally's face. It warmed your heart even though it didn't last a full second.

"Thanks." He turned on his heel and left your room cold and empty.

A surge of confidence hit you like a bolt of lightning. You ran to your doorway and saw him right before he would turn to go down the stairs. "Gally!" He jumped a little from being caught off guard. "I just- Why? Why do you hate me? Is it because I'm a girl?"

He sighed and looked down. "A couple a weeks before you came up I was stung. I saw you during the Changing with others, others that put us here."

"You remember me?"

"I remember you saying my name and being one of Them. You helped put us here, I know it. I don't trust you." He started down the stairs without another word.

To be honest, you tried not to think about your life before the Glade much. It was frustrating not having any memories of your past. All anyone got back was their name, and how were they to know if it was even their real name? You were one of the lucky ones because you had come up with a piece of your old life in your pocket. That little rose-shaped soap you kept in your nightstand had to mean something, but you were starting to feel like you’d never figure it out. That’s why you kept it hidden in a drawer. Why torture yourself?

You don't bother Gally after that. If he really saw you in the Changing, you figured that was enough reason to not want to be around you.

A few months pass, and the number of the Gladers grew to an even twenty-two. In that time, you had excelled at your job as a med jack, having used working and studying as an excuse to keep your mind off of what Gally had told you. You had done so well, in fact, that Clint even told Nick that you should take his place as Keeper. Before you knew it, a new Greenie came up. This was your first time being part of the decision of what the Newbie’s job would be.

It was also your first gathering since you were sent up. They had three in the first two weeks you arrived. The first was to question you to see why you were sent up. The second you hadn’t been allowed to attend, but apparently, they were deciding what to do with you. The third had been when you were getting to pick your role. At the time, Clint really needed an extra hand, and you happened to have a calmer touch than most of the slintheads the box sent up.

"We're at twenty-three now. Clint and I need another person to take shifts with. After this, we'll be good on med jacks for a while. We probably won't want to take on another until fifty," you explained to the group. "Jeff did amazing during training. He knows how to wrap quicker than me, and with how stubborn and wiggly you slintheads are, the quicker the better." You sat back down. Most of the Keepers seemed to nod in agreement.

Gally stood to say his piece. "No, I need another builder if we're gonna be adding a third layer to the Homestead, and the Greenie listens to orders better than the rest of my crew." The others seemed to nod in agreement with this as well.

You stand back up. "Adding a third layer is going to be dangerous. We'll need all the help we can get to patch up the builders. They were adding the second when I arrived, and Clint and I were working around the clock. The builders already have four, adding another would make them the biggest group. If we are being honest, the track hoes and slicers are the ones who really need bigger groups. They're the ones that supply our food."

Gally stared at you harshly. It was the first time he acknowledged you in weeks. "Let's see what the Greenie has to say then."

You all turned to look at Jeff. The kid was probably around fifteen, and terrified from the sudden attention brought to him. Gally looked very intimidating with his hands on his hips and an impatient look on his face. It was no wonder why Jeff had said, "I-I think I want to be a med jack."

Nick patted the kid’s back and said, "There you have it. A new med jack! You're all dismissed!"

You made your way to Jeff and slung an arm around him. "You'll love it with us! It's never dull! We help out other groups on slow days so you get to chat with everyone ‘round here. It's fun!"

Gally was waiting at the exit. Jeff noticed him and squirmed under your arm. "Um. I think I'll head to dinner."

"Sure! We can talk shifts later!" You called to him as he bolted out the door. The smile on your face vanished when Gally cleared his throat for your attention. You tensed and turned to face him.

"The hell was that about me not needing more people? You sayin’ builders aren't important?" He crossed his arms and glared down at you. His jaw flexed in anger. Minho was the last one in the hut and quickly left before Gally's anger could turn to him. You envied the runner for being able to avoid the builder's rage. It used to be so often all directed toward you, but those months of avoiding him had saved you from all the nagging and glares. Part of you wondered if you would rather have this attention from Gally or keep not having any at all.

You decided it would be best not to argue with the man and get out of this one by being agreeable and kind. "Course not! You guys are really important. We wouldn't have any shelter without you-"

"Yeah, and we could probably manage just fine without med jacks. Anyone could take up the position when needed. That was such a waste."

You gawked at his hateful tone. "Excuse you?"

"Clint shouldn't've let you be Keeper. The guys all listen to you just cuz you're a shuck girl. You don't even know what you're doing."

"For your information-," You poked his hardened chest. "Clint advised me to add on Jeff and told me everything I told the other Keepers tonight, so fuck off." You scoffed and reached for the door until an impulsive wave of anger flushed over you.

Perhaps all the months of wondering how you could prove yourself to Gally and gain his trust had gotten to you. Everything you imagined telling him flashed through your head at once, and you couldn't help but go off. You turned back to Gally who was puffing hot air out of his nose.

"I came here the same way as you. No memories. No anything. Whoever I was in your memory, I'm not that anymore. I'm just trying to survive here like you. You think it's easy being the only girl? You think I don't wonder if the other Keepers agree to stuff just because I'm different? I want to be treated equal. I'm not lookin' to be put on some pedestal and have people call me 'Princess'. I worked my ass off to get this position, just like you do every day."

Gally lowered his head and grumbled under his breath, "Stupid shank."

You grabbed a fistful of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. "What'd you just call me?”

He glared down at you with a tight jaw and daggers for eyes. "You heard me."

The two of you stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity with faces merely an inch away from each other. It seemed to be a staring contest until Gally's eyes broke away for a second to glance down at your lips. When he looked back into your eyes he fired out, "I hate you."

You wanted to hit him, really you did, but your hand was still wrapped up in his shirt. Truth be told, you didn't want to let go either. He might step away if you did, and you liked being close to him. You had oddly missed arguing with him the past few months. "You're the worst," you practically growled in return.

He easily had a comeback. "You don't have to lift a finger around here to get what you want. It's not fair."

"You're such an ass to everyone like your some entitled prick-"

"You can't even hammer in a shuck nail 'cuz you're so weak-"

"You don't even know how to wash your damn laundry-"

"You're such a shank letting all the guys watch you leave the showers in just a towel-"

"You can't even keep your clothes on for a full workday, makin' everyone here stare at your back while you chop wood-"

"-as if you're tryin' to make a point that you're a shuck girl. S'not like we all don't think about you enough already-"

"-like, we get it: you have abs. You want a medal or something?"

"All you do is flaunt around every day and distract everyone!"

"All you do is act like you own the place! Oh and god forbid if someone has a different opinion than you because then you get all tough and take 'em up in the Ring like you can fight for respect."

"How else am I supposed to get it from the guys? We can't all have curves to make the slintheads here bow down to our every move!"

"Whatever, asshole." You push against his chest with both your hands to shove him into the wall again. "Maybe if you respected others, they'd respect you."

He grabbed your wrists. "Doesn't seem like that's how you handle things."

"What? Don't like it when others play you at your own game?" With how tightly he was holding your wrists, you couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like for him to grab your hips like that. You try to shake the thoughts from your head, but they only worsen when you notice his biceps are flexed to keep you in place. With the corner of your bottom lip clenched between your teeth, you gazed up at his face and tried not to have intimate thoughts.

His face faltered and softened for only a second before letting you go and looking away. "Get out of here."

You willingly hurried out of the hut and sprinted to the Homestead to lock yourself away in your room. That night, your dreams were filled with Gally being rough and grabbing you in all the right ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is getting positive feedback?? I really thought I would be posting to the void with this one. Thank you for reading, and the kudos, and the comments! This has been really fun editing since I wrote it so many years ago. Also, I love how the characters in this book talk. Newt's dialect is fun, of course, but this chapter I had Gally say shouldn't've and?? Ah! Idk I just love how they communicate with so much slang. It's almost lazy the way they talk, and it just gets crazier when they are angry.
> 
> And our reader moving up on the social hierarchy? Becoming a Glader? So proud of you!


	3. A Peace Offering

You woke up sweaty and not at all well-rested. The. . . intense dreams from the night before had forced you up right before the sun, and you weren't able to fall back asleep. You took a cold shower and tried to calm yourself, but your mind kept wandering back to how Gally mentioned your curves and how you walked from the showers to the Homestead in just a towel. When you got out, you noticed Gally was chopping wood shirtless, something he doesn't usually do until the end of the day. To be honest, you were surprised to see anyone up this early. The only boys in the Glade who got up before the sun were runners. That’s why it was the best time for you to shower.

Until yesterday, you weren’t even aware that other gladers knew you showered in the mornings. They all got to run around with their underwear on their heads like idiots and no one batted an eyelash, but you knew it’d be different if you were the one going around dressed in next to nothing. Mornings were your time to just exist without worrying about the wandering eyes of everyone else. Now you felt odd stepping outside of the shower room. Reluctantly, you stepped back into the room to put back on your grungy clothes from the other day.

The sun was just starting to rise, meaning you didn’t have much time before everyone else was up. Sometimes you wished the walls didn't block the sun rising and setting. Every once in a while, the sky just above the walls would turn pink and purple. What was the horizon like? Was it a brighter shade of pink from the sun, or did it get deeper as the sky met the land? There weren't many colors showing in the sky today which usually meant it would be sunny with sparse clouds. Days in the Glade were rarely cold, even during the short rainy season.

You could do anything with your time, but instead, you leaned against the wall of the shower room to openly watch the show in front of you. Gally repeatedly brought the axe down on the logs. When one snapped in half with a loud pop, you gasped slightly. He moved the chopped wood to a pile he had started the looked around the Glade as he wiped some sweat from his brow.

When his eyes landed on you he quickly went back to work as if seeing you annoyed him. Maybe you should apologize for yesterday. After all, he apologized last time you guys got in an argument. You couldn't remember ever having one that was that heated. It was kind of. . Another log split in half. You pushed off the wall with a smirk.

What did he say last night? Something about you having curves that make all the other gladers bow down? There were three ways to go about this. One was to just never address what had been said. The second was to apologize. But the third, oh the third. . You could teach the slinthead a lesson for all of that misogynistic bullcrap he had been spewing. Maybe then he’d finally pull his head out of his slimy ass and respect you.

Gally heard you approaching and glanced at you before immediately chopping down on the wood again. Now that you were closer, you could really see how all his muscles constricted during the swift movement. Part of you wanted to remember and save that sight for later uses which made you blush and realize how wrong that was.

"I'm sorry, Gally. You were mad about the Greenie and I should have not given in and let it get so far."

He huffed. "Whatever. Looks like you learned your lesson anyway, not walking around in your towel like some shank.”

And just like that, whatever apology you had planned was thrown out the window. You scoffed and crossed your arms. "Most of the other guys leave the showers in their towel, in fact, I’m lucky if they don’t chase each other around the Homestead in their underwear like children. You call them shanks too, or is it just me?”

Gally dropped the axe, looking at you harshly. "Then just run around the Glade naked. See if I care."

Now wouldn’t that be interesting if Gally did, in fact, care? It wasn’t something you thought about before. "Do you?"

"No." He threw his hands up rolled his eyes sarcastically. "I don't. That's why it bothers me so much because I don't care!"

"Interesting." You nodded your head and began to really take mental notes now that you had him answering questions. "So do you care that you see or that the others see?"

"The others! Obviously!" He continued to wave his hands dramatically, not realizing the valuable information he was laying out.

"So if I'm where everyone can see, you'd be mad, but if I was wearing just a towel in your room. . . Would that be okay?"

Gally blushed. His eyes darted across your body then landed on your eyes. He stayed set there like he was trying to keep himself from wandering. "Y-you can’t. I mean, you wouldn't-"

"I might." You shrugged and walked off like it was no big deal. In reality, that conversation unveiled a lot. Newt was gonna love to hear that he had been right. Gally did think of you in that way. Now you just had to decide. . Was he what you wanted too?

Later that day you were kneeling at the water pump while washing some of the clothes on the makeshift washboard the builders made. A red-faced Gally approached you with a small basket. You stopped humming your washing tune to look up at his still shirtless figure.

"Nick said you were on washing duty today."

"Looks like Nick was right. That for me?" You nodded to the basket.

"No," he said quickly. You frowned in confusion. "I mean. You were right last night- that I didn't know how to wash. I wanna, um, help out more around here."

You patted the dirt next to you. "I'll teach you." And you did. He was doing great except he was being very rough on the board. You were worried the worn thing might snap in half or that he might lose all his stamina after just two shirts. Leaning forward on your knees, you placed a hand over the one he was gripping the wet shirt with. Your other hand landed lightly on his thigh to balance yourself. He froze in place, shocked that you were intervening. "There are plenty of things you do this fast, but this isn't one of them. You'll break it if you don't slow down."

You moved Gally's hand slowly across the board, pushing into the board on the way down. He started to get the idea, so you took your hands off.

"See? This is way better. You wouldn't have lasted going so rough like that."

"I can last longer than you think." His words made your mouth drop open. Your mind immediately went to a dark place, recollecting the dream you had of him the night before.

"Maybe you'll show me some time."

One of the wooden legs snapped off, causing the metal sheet in the middle to crash against the washtub with a bang. Your heart skipped a beat. The board was never the nicest to begin with from all the splinters it had given you, but washing without it was going to be a pain. You sighed and took the shirt from Gally to throw in the rinse bucket.

He stood and collected the broken pieces of the board from the water. "I'll go make you a new one."

"You don't have to. I'll do the others by hand. Just go meet up with the others for dinner." You waved him off and began to focus on the clothes, throwing them in the soapy bucket to get them soaking. He left silently.

The next morning, there was a new washboard leaning against your door. The edges of the wood had all been sanded down and felt buttery smooth to the touch. In all your time in the Glade, you had never seen anything made with so much care and attention to detail. You picked it up and took it to the water pumps then looked around for Gally to thank him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Ben had told you that Gally had been up pretty late and was taking the morning off. You made your way back to the Homestead and ran into someone after turning the corner on the second floor.

"Watch it." Gally glared at you with crossed arms.

"Oh! I was just coming to find you. Thanks for the washboard. You didn't have to work so hard on it. I really appreciate it." You flashed a smile at him, he stayed stoic. "Right, well, since you helped me out, I thought I'd offer my assistance on whatever you need to do today. Jeff and Clint are working together again, and I'm not on call until dusk."

Gally rolled his eyes. "I meant what I said. You can't even hammer a nail. What makes you think you'd be of any help to me?"

You frowned. "Just thought I'd offer. Don't gotta be rude about it."

"Yeah well, I don't need some girl following me around all day, distracting my crew like some shank."

A steaming puff of air came from your flared nose. "Don't call me that."

"I call 'em as I see 'em, shank."

You grabbed your hand in the fabric of his shirt again, yelling, "What the hell, Gally? Why can't you just be consistently nice or rude, huh?"

"Oh like you're any better! One second you're yelling and the next you're putting your hand on my thigh like some. . . Well! Like some shank!"

"I'm not a shank!"

"Oh really? Because you sure act like one! Bet you put your hands all over your boy Newt too!" He jabbed a finger at you accusingly.

"I do not!"

"Oh really? So you just can't keep your hands to yourself around me then? You won't even let go on my shirt!" As soon as he mentioned it, you flushed and released your grip. "See? You're the definition of a shank!"

Both your fists clenched at your sides. "I'm not! Ask anyone! I'm not like this with them!"

"What is it then? You like me or something?"

"No!"

"Then stop touching me and staring at me! How am I supposed to focus when you're always around?"

"Well sorry for offering to help!"

He stormed out of the Homestead and slammed the door so hard that where you stood on the second floor shook beneath you. Until your shift, you worked in the fields alongside Newt so that you could vent to him. After all, he seemed to know a lot more about your situation before it was even a situation to begin with. Not long before you came up, Gally had been stung mid-day. It was known that he had been different since then. Newt knew him before he changed, so maybe he had some insight as to why Gally was so hot and cold.

"And then he accused me of being handsy and flirty with you!" You glared across the Glade at Gally who was barking orders at his crew while Newt picked apples and threw them into the basket you were holding.

"He's an idiot." Newt paused to stare out at the maze doors. "You're not my type anyway."

"I know! I thought everyone new that much!" You shook the basket around.

"Careful with those!" Zart yelled from the grapevines. You mouthed a sorry then looked back up at Newt in hopes he had some amazing wisdom to bestow upon you.

"Maybe he was just having a bad morning."

You scoffed. "A bad morning is not enough justification for chewing out someone who just offered to help you."

"Yeah well you know he still gets those nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

Newt climbed down from the ladder and started to talk quieter. "All the ones who've gone through the Changing still get 'em sometimes. He probably just woke up from one when you ran into him. Maybe you scared the klunk outta him."

Each of you took a handle and carried the heavy basket across the fields to the kitchen. "So you're saying I should apologize?"

"If that's the reason. He coulda been just being his usual self. You know it isn't uncommon for him to chew people out, right?"

"I know I just thought. . . I don't know what I thought."

Later that night you worked up the nerves to go to Gally's room and apologize. You were calm and prepared to not let him work you up to another screaming match, but you hadn't expected him to open the door with slumped shoulders and blue bags under his eyes. He seemed irritated at the sight of you, but he didn't have enough energy to make a big deal about it. You saw this as a plus, it would be easier to keep him docile.

"Shit, Gally. You look terrible." It came out of your mouth before you could stop yourself.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "What do you want?"

"It's just- I realized that you might have already been in a mood this morning, and I probably made it worse by bugging you." You looked down at your feet nervously. "Also I wanted to check on you and see that you were alright. Coupla the builders told me you were angrier than usual today."

"Yeah I just-" He sighed and rubbed his face. "Haven't been getting much sleep is all. I'm fine."

"For how long?"

"Few nights. It's nothing really. Happens all the time-"

"I can make you a calming tea. I requested some when I was first sent up. Couldn't sleep 'cuz all the boys freaked me out." You shyly tucked your hair behind your ear. At first you just drank the tea yourself, but now you kept it in the med tent in case one of the boys was having a rough time. You used to share it with Newt a lot after the accident.

Gally frowned down at you. "I didn't know about that."

"It's not something I advertise. Most guys here already think I'm, 'too weak to hammer in a shuck nail'. Just wanted people to think I was stronger, I guess."

He rubbed his eyes again and yawned. "Yeah. I'll take some tea."

You smiled up at him. "I'll be right back with it!" You ran off to the kitchen to heat up water and make it for him as well as some for yourself. He was still awake when you returned with the steaming cups. Gally offered for you to come in which shocked you for a moment. You sat on his bed next to him while you both sipped on the tea silently.

"Thanks," he muttered after a while.

"'Course. Anytime. . . Or even if you just want to talk and you can't sleep. I don't mind. I'm up late a lot anyway since that's when my shifts usually are now. Clint used to be on call at night too when he was Keeper. Nick says it just makes the Gladers feel safer knowin' there's always someone ready to help."

Gally looked down at his half-empty mug. "I feel like I'm drowning in them." His eyebrows scrunched together like he was trying to remember it without having to relive it. "There were others too, in tubes, drowning. You weren't. You were crying."

You put your mug on the nightstand so that you could rub circles on his back. "You're not there now. It's okay. We're okay."

"I can't stop seeing it lately, that same one over and over." He was shaking so hard you were afraid he was going to spill his mug, so you put it on the stand as well. You lightly grabbed his chin and made him face you. His eyes were red and blotchy from crying and not enough sleep.

"I know it's scary, but there's nothing you can do to change the memory. Don't think about it too much. Hey, just focus on me, yeah? Tell me about how the watchtower is doing."

Gally took a few breaths to compose himself then went on about building. "We'll definitely get the railing for the second layer done tomorrow. The third won't take more than a few days too."

"Then what?"

"Then? Then the third layer of the Homestead. We need more rooms for the Greenies, and beds, then everything else: desks, chairs, tables for the dining area."

You smiled and wiped a single tear that had escaped him. Your hand stayed cupped around his cheek. "Sounds like the builders are gonna be real busy for a while. They'll need a well-rested Captain." You nodded toward his pillow then got up so he could lay back.

On your way out the door, Gally surprised you. "Thank you, Y/N." It sounded so sincere with his low, tired voice that your hope for patching things up with him skyrocketed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the softest I have ever written Gally.  
> This chapter is a bit slow, but the next few pick up!  
> I can't get the image of Gally snapping the leg off a washboard out of my head.


End file.
